English Pointers and full timing? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Parrish · RV-Dreams Community Member

English Pointers and full timing?

Waggin Tails · RV-Dreams Family Member

Our fur babies include a 9 year old Golden Retriever, a 2 year old Standard Poodle, and a 12 year old cat. The poodle is the barker but we have been able to control her barking. We have obedience trained both our dogs so they understand the basic commands such as sit, down, leave it and even no bark. We spent 8 weeks in an RV Park where they demonstrated excellent behavior. Many of the residents complemented us on their behavior. We even had one couple who would come by our site just to visit the dogs.

Large dogs will require lost of walking and will need large poop bags. We encountered another RVer who had two golden poodles (retriever/poodle mix). They also had a miniature poodle. It was interesting that we noticed the smaller dogs in the park where the noisiest and the most misbehaved.

We only had one complaint while in the park. This occurred when we returned from taking them for their potty walk and encounter three other couples with dogs. In all, there where 8 adults and 8 dogs so you can imagine the tangled leashes and barking that ensued. When the complainer left, one of the couples commented that the complainer was notorious for complaining about everything in the park.

We never leave our dogs on leashes outside unattended. We always pickup after our dogs and have picked up after others as well.

Maybe one day we will be in the same place as you. Our fur babies would love to meet yours.

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

We had two medium size dogs and took them everywhere with us. They would only bark if another dog was coming near the campsite and would usually quiet down with a command.

Our dogs didn't like to sleep inside the RV, they had long fur and would get hot. So I built a large wooden kennel in front of the 5th wheel hitch in the pickup bed. The box opened from the top, so I would have to lift them in and out. It was plenty big for the two of them. The back wall (toward the hitch) had a large heavy metal screened opening to provide plenty of fresh air. I would place their bowl of water in the kennel at night. They had large dog pillows filled with wood shavings and foam to sleep on. They seemed to enjoy being in it and often would not want to get out unless they needed to.

Most private and some public RV parks have a maximum limit of numbers and or size. Quite a few even have breed restrictions (rotweiller, german shepard, pit bull..etc)

Most private RV parks limit to two dogs, this is required by the liability insurance company they use. So very few are willing to break this rule.

Boondocking shouldn't be a problem.

Personally, I don't think I will ever have a dog again. It meant I could never sleep in, because the dogs needed to be walked. Plus the emotional pain when they eventually died is something I don't want to go through again.

flyone · RV-Dreams Family Member

Parrish, as you well know, Pointers need lots of room to run. All parks have leash rules. Unless you would be willing to find a place (every where you went) for them to run and stay in shape 2 or 3 times a week, you might be doing a dis-service to the dogs. There are lots of guide services and hunting lodges where you can rent bird dogs. Sorry to rain on your parade, I don't think this is a very good idea. Now if the dog is a pet and use to behaving and leash walking that could be a different story. I have done a lot of bird hunting with young hunting dogs, they could wreck a campsite in a second with their unbounded enthusiasm for running and hunting. This is my opinion, sorry if you didn't want to hear that.

Flyone

Parrish · RV-Dreams Community Member

flyone wrote:
Parrish, as you well know, Pointers need lots of room to run. All parks have leash rules. Unless you would be willing to find a place (every where you went) for them to run and stay in shape 2 or 3 times a week, you might be doing a dis-service to the dogs. There are lots of guide services and hunting lodges where you can rent bird dogs. Sorry to rain on your parade, I don't think this is a very good idea. Now if the dog is a pet and use to behaving and leash walking that could be a different story. I have done a lot of bird hunting with young hunting dogs, they could wreck a campsite in a second with their unbounded enthusiasm for running and hunting. This is my opinion, sorry if you didn't want to hear that.

Flyone

I hear you loud and clear, Flyone. While I really want to spend most of my time out west in national forest or BLM land, I know we will probably like spending time at RV Parks to have some human interaction.

Parrish · RV-Dreams Community Member

Flyone

You got to be kidding. A bird dog with a docked tail? No way. Actually, I have two pointers that live in the house (my best two females). My wife would never let me part with them. They can drive me nuts though. I can put them in a crate in the back of the toy hauler if I have to. Even my wheel chair bound wife with MS can handle them. My best male dog has been allowed in the house and when outside He will lay outside the door and wait for me, even though he has five acres to run on and BLM land adjacent to us.

A freind of mine is coming from Kentucky to our place in Carlsbad, NM to get a couple of my finer dogs. He bought a pup from me that is kicking but in the field trials. I hope he will take three.

I could do a English Setter if I had to. They tend to be a little lower tone.

-- Edited by Parrish on Monday 30th of January 2012 12:54:44 PM

flyone · RV-Dreams Family Member

Parrish--I know once a pointer man always a pointer man, and I agree. But maybe you could make this work with a smaller bred of dog. Forgive me for even suggesting it, but have you ever considered a britt? Smaller, not as big running, maybe able to adjust to RV life style a little better, not quite as hard charging. Maybe better than nothing, just a suggestion.

Flyone